Weir’s Adelaide Cup pain continues

CHAMPION trainer Darren Weir must be wishing the rival Lindsay Park stable had taken a brief March holiday.

After finishing second to Lindsay Park horses in a pair of Group 1 races at Flemington on Saturday, Weir has again been denied a feature-race crown by a galloper trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, his German import Ormito just failing to peg back Fanatic in the $400,000 Adelaide Cup at Morphettville.

To add salt to the wound, Weir's other Cup runner, $21 hope Poppiholla, ran a huge race for third.

On Saturday, Weir's Brave Smash was beaten a lip by Hayes import Redkirk Warrior in the $1.25 million Newmarket Handicap then Gailo Chop was upset by Lindsay Park longshot Harlem in the $1.5 million Australian Cup.

South Australia's premier staying test remains one of the few feature races to elude the all-conquering Weir camp.

He's now had placegetters in the past four Cups, including a couple of highly fancied runners.

Master Of Arts ran third as favourite last year, Real Love filled the same placing as the $2.35 popular elect in 2016 and Taiyoo, a $6 chance, finished second in 2015.

Now Ormito and Poppiholla have added to that story of near-misses.

Despite the frustrating run of outs, the Victorian horseman remained philosophical after the race and praised the ride of Ormito's jockey, Craig Williams.